What Is Urticaria?
4. How Is Urticaria Diagnosed?
Diagnosing hives is not too challenging. The appearance of urticaria is discernible from other conditions. However, discovering the trigger is often tricky. While there are cases when the trigger is apparent—a patient eats peanuts and breaks—there are other instances when testing is needed.
While a single episode of hives may not call for testing, recurrent episodes or a single event that has lasted a long time often requires some detective work. An allergist is often your best bet for identifying the underlying triggers. They will use a series of skin tests, blood tests, skin prick tests and oral challenges to determine the cause of your hives. Although, you should prepare yourself for a less than a definitive diagnosis. Sometimes, despite rigorous testing, no trigger is identified.
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